Shiny Brass Buttons

The people in the camp scavenged on the meat like rabid dogs, how long had it been since they’d eaten? Two, three days? Probably more. Juice from the meat dripped down their uniforms, dirtying the already dull medals and buttons that decorated them.

He thought about when they had been shiny and new, the cheers when they had been first pinned onto their uniform’s coats. He had felt a sense of honor when they pinned his on, a sense of pride too. Who wouldn’t? He shot off his musket in the air in celebration, as did the others.

It is always very difficult to explain why you like one story more than another. I chose “Shiny Brass Buttons” by Kara B. as the winner of the Figment fable-writing contest because it is well-constructed, rhythmic, and concise: the author helps us feel the tension of the main character’s inner conflict without over-explaining anything. The beginning is strong, and the ending is surprising””romantic not in the way we expect, but in its own tragic way.